Musical instrument.



G. V. DUMAS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

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MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 20, 1913. 1,1OOA22n Patented. June 16, 1914 2 SEEMS-$113M 2.

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55 and weather conditions have caused the MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

1,109,422. Specification of Letters Patent Patented J 11110 16, 1911.. Application filed June 20, 1913. Serial No. 774,797.

sheet to swell, or shrink, and its width to vary to such an extent as to aflect more or less seriously the operation of the tracking evices.

My invention relates to mechanism by means of which the tracking controlling openings, or other devices, are shifted laterally with relation to the note-playing openings to compensate for changes in width of the music sheet, due to any cause. In one 65 type of mechanisms of this class, two openings are provided in the tracker bar, one for each edge of the sheet, and any tendency-of the latter to shift laterally so that its noteope 'ating perforations would be moved out 70 of alinement with the note-playing openings in the tracker bar is counteracted by pneumatic devices under the control of these openings, the edges of the sheet constituting valves to open or close, or vary the area of the openings. In another type of Inechanism, a finger or fingers, engaging the edges of the music sheet, operate suitable devices to control the tracking of the music sheet.

My invention is not limited in its applica- 80 tion to musical instruments having tracking devices of any particular type, but in the em bodin'ient of my invention which I have selooted as-an illustrative example, the tracking or shifting of the sheet is under the 85 control of devices including a duct or open-- ing adjacent one edge of the sheet. In the operation of devices of this particular type, any tendency of the sheet to shift; laterally is counteracted by mechanism rendered 90 effective by the uncovering ot' the opening by the edge of the sheet.

.lieferring to the drawings, and to the cmbodimcnt of'my invention which I have selected for illustrative purposes, I have there 95 shown a portion of an automatic musical instrumcut of the described type, comprising a perforated music sheet 8 of fan'iiliar form, carried by a music sheet; winding roll and a music spool 10, across a track bar 1]. the 100 latter is herein supported on uprights 13 and 14, and is provided as usual with a series oi noteplaying openings, or ducts, 15, one for each note of the instrument. The I winding roll 9 and music spool 10 are herein 105 rotatably mounted in a well known manner at one pair of ends, in hearing members 16 and 17, mounted to move axially in bearings 18 and in the upright 13, and having springs 20 and 21 of usual form and ar- 110 To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Gnonon V. Dumas, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex 5 and State of lllassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings 10 representing like parts.

his invention relates to musical instruments of the self-playing type employing perforated music sheets, and more particularly to the tracking devices by means of 16 which the music sheet is maintained in its proper relation with the ducts in the tracker hfy invention will be best understood by reference to the following specification,

20 when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing two specific emodiments of. my invention, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

25 In the drawings: Figure 1 IS a plan of a music sheet tracking mechanism for musical instruments embodying my invention, the top of one of the bellows being partly broken away to disclose the duct openings there n;

Fig. 2 is a. front elevation of the same, also with the bellows partly broken away and shown in section to disclose the ducts; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking toward the left; Fig. 4 is a detail plan section, partly broken away, on an enlarged scale on line of Fig. 2; Fig.

elevation of some of the parts shown in Fig.

1, showing the relation of the sheet. to the two tracking controlling openings, while the instrument is being played; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on line 7 of Fig. (5.

n musical instruments employing perforated music sheets traveling over noto-operating openings in a tracker bar, there are usually provided devices cooperating with and governed by the sheet, to insure a proper registration of the note perforations in the sheet with the corresponding note-operating openings in the tracker bar. In the operation of all such musical instruments, much dilliculty has been experienced heretofore, because of the fact that the various climatic bellows t). The latter may be exha'u;

rangement u the bearing members, and music rolls 'rarried thereby, toward the right The other ends of the music roll and music spool are clutched to and driven by sha ts and 223, respectively, the latter being journaled in bearings and in the upright lat, and in" lags 2t and 27 in a nne the shafts 22 and iil may be dri ren by an) approoriate mechanism, which it will be uuneeess r here to describe, it being understood, however, that during the plating of the instrument, the music roller 9 is rotated in the proper direction to cause the music sheet to travel across the tracker bar in the usual and. well known manner.

it an outer, or right-hand, ends of the shafts 222 nd are engaged, respectively, and 36 secured to an upright ill, the latter being mom'ited to upper and lower ends in bearings n2 til in the frame Secured to the with-Shall ill is an arm 34, to which is pivotcd one end of a link the latter being pivoted at its. other end to an arm 36 formed on, or "ecul'etl vto, a recloshatt ill, the lattrr bl mounted in, suitable ljiearings on the up: I it til. 'ihe roclc-shalt b? is herein 'p'i'o\iil1-i,l with anuthc arm 38, connected by a liul; ill? to a uiorable wall -fl0 of a bellows which acts through the eonneetitms just des ribed to shilit the music rolls axially against the tension of their springs, and. couseipieatly shifts the music sheet with relati n to the L; 'ached bat.

in the lorm of my inre itien illustratei'l in hi5 2, in t3 and tnere 1 p orl led a llttft)! t e r l K I) a meetcontrolling opc l in or ouet, l),

1 i termed in a member 13 idabl morntet in the upright l-l, and constituting in et'ec, a

movable continuation, or extia'islon, oi the tracker bar it. The sheet-controlling duct, how-yer, need not be placed in a continuzn lion ot the tracker bar, but it desireo, may be placed ahore or below the latter, and in His 5, hare-shown a slight; modifization in which, a tubular'member (let, provided. with a controlling duct 45, is mounted to slide in a suitable bearing' ltl in the upright. in either case, the ducteounected to the bellows alt) by a ppropriat'e comnactions, here in including a l'lexible conduit 4 and a conduit -38, to a duct -18) having an opening. Fill communicat'ing with the interior of the ed by any ag'iproprite means, but herein is pro \"itlcd-witl a minute exhaust passage 51, connected by a, duct 5) to a llexible conduit 53, which latter in practice will be connected to the usual wind chest of the musical instrument. ll hen the operatmommcnces to operate t s, too bellows, air will at once he exhaustt tr: n. the bellow-s ll, whereupon the latter will rg'in to collapse. It will be observed 5; passage hat the exhaust 51 leading from the bellows all is substantially smaller in area than the passages leading from the bellows to the duct at the edge of the music sheet. Because of this dillerence in areas, when the musie'sheet for any reason shifts toward the left and commences to uncover the duct 42, atmospheric air will rush through the described conduits to the bellows ll faster than the air is exhausted thereiron'i, the result being that said. bellows will commence to open, and will act through the described eonneetions to shift the music rolls tovard the right, until the edge of the music sheet once more covers the duct 4-2. In an 88 note player, the note-operating;- openings in the tracker bar are placed very close to each other, the space between them in practice being; about; one-thirty-secoinl oit' an incln It will be evident that, since the relation of the music sheet to the i'iote-operating openings is governed by the sheet-controlling; opening at one edge of the sheet, if the latter should swell or shrink to any great extent, the perforations or slots in the music sheet, particularly those most remote from the opening 42, would not prop erly register with the corresponding noteoperating openings inthe tracker bar. in half the width 'ol the music sheet, however, there not sullicieut swelling or shrinking to cause am detect in the )lacin oi the notes. .Consei'piently, it the longitudinal median line at the sheet; were to be main taiacd'at all times in exact alinement with a point midway of the two ends of the tracker. all of the notes of the instrument would be sounded correctly. To this end, therefore, I provide at; the left-hand edge of the sheet a duct 5st similar to the duct 42, and provide suitable means under the eon trul of the left-hand duct simultaneously to shift both ducts laterally equal distances witlrrelation to the note-operating openings.

ln the form oi my invention. shown in Fig. t, the duct all is formed in a member similar to the member l3 already de scribed, and constituting in ell'ect a eoutinuation or extension of the tracker bar 11. In the form shown in Fig. 5, a duct 56 adjacent the left-hand edge oi. the sheet formed in a tube 57, similar to the tube 14- alraidy described, and mounted to slide axially. Referring to the tin-m shown in l igi t, the slides 43 and may be slidably mounted upon the t'aclt'er bar ll. in any other suit;- able manner, but herein thella'tter is provided with longitudinal slots and 59, and the slides 4-3 and are provided, rcspcc-- tirely, with tongues (30 and 61, guided by said slots. Herein, the slides are held in place in their respective slots by plates 62 and 8 3, secured to the backs oi their resnectixe slots by screws (it and leierring to the modification shown in .Fig. 5, the tubes 44: and 5i may be guided the tubes. The latter, may be closed at their inner. ends by plugs 67 and 6S, and at their outer ends by plugs (39 and 70 fitted therein.

The slides 43 and oi the form shown in Fig. it, or the slides lland 1'7 of the form shown in Fig. 5, may be connected to each other by any appropriate n'na-hanism to cause them simultaneously to move in opposite directions, but herein the slide 43 pivotilly connected to a lever Tl, fulcrumed at 72, and a slide is pivotally connected to a lever 73 fulcrumed at T4, the upper ends of these levers being pivoted respectively to links 75 and 76. which hitter are pivoted at their inner ends to crank pins 77 and 78 carried by a crank disk 79. Herein, the latter is secured to a rock-shaft 80, journaled in suitable bearings in a bracket 81 secured to a horinontal support 82, which latter joins the uprights 13 and l t. The slides 4-3 and may be drawn toward each other by any suitable means, but. herein a. spring 83, .secured at one end to the link 76 and at its other end to the horizontal support 82, constantly tends to move said slides toward their innermost position.

The duct, or opening, 54 in the slide is connected to a suitable bellows 8%. by appropriate connections, including a flexible conduit 85 and a conduit 86, to a duct 87 having an outlet 88 opening into the interior of the bellows 84. Air may be exhausted from the latter through an exhaust passage 89, connnunicating, through the duct and conduit already described. with the wind chest of the instrument. The bellows 84- is provided with a movablewall 91 connected by a linl; 92 to an arm 9 the latter ,being suitably formed on, or secured to, a rocle shaft 9-1 mounted in suitable bearings 95. To this rock-shaft is also secured an arm 96, connected by a link 97 with an arm 98, the latter being secured to the roclcshatt S0 hcreinbctore described. Just as soon as the usual pumping bellows of the instrument are operated, the air is exhausted from the interior oi the bellows S t, and the latter commences to collapse, thus acting through the described connections to move the slides 43 and 55, with their ducts l2 and 54;, away from each other, and such lnorei'ncnt w continue until these ducts commence to be.

uncovered by the edges oi the music sheet. whereupon atn'iosphcric air will rush into the duct 14 and through the described conduits to the bellows 8 1. Since the exhaust passage 259 is si'naller than the passages leading to the duct 54, air will be admitted to the. bellows faster than it is exhausted from the exhaust passage 89, with the consequence that the closing movement of the bellows will at once cease. The bellows may be supported in any other suitable manner, but herein they have in common a fixed wall 99, supported by posts 100 upon a horizontal member 101 forming a part of the player action frame.

Having thus specifically described the tracking mechanism, 1 will now describe its general operation: The person operating the instrun'ient first hooks the end of the music sheet onto the music. whaling roll 9 in the usual manner. and then commences to operate the pedals, whereupon the mechanism will operate in the usual manner to wind the music sheet onto the winding roll 5}. As soon as the music sheet. covers the ducts l2 and Til, the supply of atmospheric air to the bellows 41 and 8-1 is cut oli, and the latter begin to collapse, owing to the fact that they are in communication with the wind chest from which air is being exhausted. The

bellows ll and 8-1 will continue to collapse until the one has shifted the music sheet, and

the other has shifted the ducts and 54 to a point where the latter begin to be exposed at the edges of the music sheet. This having occurred, atn'iospheric air will rush into these ducts, and further collapsing movement of both bellows will cease. It will now be evident that. any narrowing or widening of the sheet, or any shifting of the latter toward the one side or the other, will cause the ducts 42 and to be shifted toward or away from each other, or cause the sheet to be'shil'ted from right to left. or from left. to right as the case may be, with the result that during the playingof the 1nusic,the longitudinal median line of the sheet will at all times be maintained in ex ct aliuement with a. point midway between the two middle note-operating openings of the tracker bar. 'llhcrotore, no matter what the climatic or weather conditions may be, and regardless of the cl'ianges in width of the sheet from time to than, the described mechanism will compensate For such changes in width or: the music sheet, tUHlWlll at all times maintain the latter in its proper relation with the note-operating openings in the tracker bar, without any attention on the partol the operator.

While l have herein shown and described two speciiic forms, or embodiments, of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the con-- structiou and arrm'igemcnt incidental to two specific a 'ipliiaitions thereof, it is to he understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiments heroin shown, but that extensivedeviations l'rom the illustrated forms or embodiments of the invention may be made, without departing from the principles thereof.

Ii inving thus liQSCliiJGfi my iZ1VO11iiOD.,'\."i'1 E him and desire by Letters Patent be preeure is 2- li Ii i'mieieni instrument having :1 series eperniing openings, music Sheet means having a bucking opening ii ting wii'h one edge of the sheet 1 and 1e opening eeiipe sting of the sheet for aueeinn site (hree'iiens hue-rally with respect to the ti, unending openings to compensate f1 '11 width of the music sheet ii, TS'UIHiCii jil'ifiililll'l'lilnt having a series i nutempemting epeninggunusie shee eeniri'iiiing menus ineiuci' g devices eoepe eh-- h ihe music: sheet ndjaeein;

s Mn i inemis eentroiied by the eoijpm ni 01'? the music sheet and one mi 'mvicee to sense both of the he unified iin opposi'te directions, i iuteiaih; with respect "[0 the neie-opel'izii i i i epenin mil}; in s ngle i )enmg eoiipe-raiing with one mi; of the sheef ier nuieinutieuiiy sin? mg .11. single opening with respect in i110 heme Ming openings 10 compensate Changes in width of the musie sheet.

A musical instrument having a e? neteeperuiing openings iwe music 5 1&0? eent'reiling openings eeiiperating with eppo site ei'hges, respeeiiveiy, of the music, sheet, means iueiuding'a hollows eennnunieat'ing both openings in oppe- .i-Jimnueieel instrument having a series of I and means having i series: 1

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